Rotary Foundation Moments

Rotary Foundation Moments

The following "Foundation Moments" are worth sharing in your club and are constantly being updated so that you can always offer a Happy Buck and share Rotary Foundation news.

Quotable Quotes:

"Rotary International's masterpiece is The Rotary Foundation. It transforms our dreams into splendid realities ... it is the most generous expression of Rotarian generosity -- a generosity that not only brings benefits but also brings help and cooperation to solve the problems that affect mankind. The Rotary Foundation achieves the best that mankind can possibly achieve." --Paulo Costa, 1990-91 President of Rotary International.posted 1/13/2016

"The Rotary Foundation is not [designed] to build monuments of brick and stone. If we work upon marble, it will perish; it we work with brass, time will efface it; if we rear temples they will crumble into dust. But if we work upon immortal minds, it we imbue them with the full meaning of the spirit of Rotary ... we are engraving on those tablets something that will brighten all eternity." -- Arch C. Klumph, 1916017 President of Rotary International. posted 1/13/2016

"The five [Rotarians] who chose me to become a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar are gone ... but they're not. They never will be. Because along the way, I will in my own way share with others -- and have -- what those five men ... did in 1956 when they said, "Bill MOyers, you can matter." -- Bill Moyers, journalist and commentator. posted 1/13/2016

What's all this about The Foundation's 100th Birthday?

The Foundation was created in 1917 (99 years ago) by Rotary's sixth president, Arch Klumph, as an endowment fund for Rotary "to do good in the world." It has grown from an initial contribution of $26.50 from the Rotary Club of Kansas City, MO, to an endowment of $2.6 billion. The Foundation's 100th anniversary will be celebrated in 2016-17 and, especially, at the International Convention that will be held in Atlanta in June 2017. Be there! -- posted 1/13/2016

What's all this about "100 for 100"?

To highlight the centennial of The Rotary Foundation, and to highlight the criticality of The Rotary Foundation, here in District 7780 we are teaming up to build 100 new donors to The Foundation. And not just any donors, but those who are ready to pledge at the $10,000 level or above. That could be $10,000 in cash, payable over three years, or it could be $10,000 in planned giving (in your will). However, you choose to pledge, the important thing is to "pay it forward" and provide The Rotary Foundation with the wherewithal to continue to change lives into the next century. Contact Ann Lee Hussey annlee001@yahoo.com for more info! posted 4/4/2016

CNBC Names Rotary Foundation One of the Top 10 Foundations Worldwide!

They're big and global, with budgets exceeding $100 million and net assets of at least $65 million. Yet these 10 charities manage to do exceptional work throughout the country and overseas, all while maintaining stellar financial management and transparency. Full report and how to get involved.

There are six Rotary Peace Centers located around the world at leading universities. At the Peace Centers, scholars work for either a two-year master's degree or a three-month certificate. Either way, they graduate with a common skill set and ready to tackle the world's humanitarian problems. The program is paid for out of a special endowment; neither the student nor the club/district that sponsors that student pay toward the fellowship. If you know a young person (or not so young) who has several years' working experience and wants to do good in the world, recommend that they check out the Rotary Peace Centers. Who knows, the person your club sponsors could go on to change the world! Posted 11/28/2015

How Many Grants?

The Rotary Foundation has closed the door on a second full year of the new grants model and there's lots of good news to report: The Foundation awarded 1078 Global Grants in 2014-15, up 24 percent from the previous years' total. The dollar value of Global Grants totaled $64.9 million. The most popular Area of Focus was Disease Prevention and treatment, followed closely by Water and Sanitation. The Rotary Foundation also awarded 487 District Grants, totaling $23.8 million. Posted 11/28/2015

Can a Global Grant be used for a Scholarship?

Yes! In this District we have historically used Global Grants to do humanitarian projects. However, it is also entirely possible to put together a Global Grant to fund study at the graduate level for a student whose career goals support an Area of Focus. Those Areas are: Literacy, Child/Maternal Health, Disease Treatment and Prevention, Water and Sanitation, Economic Development, and Peace and Conflict Resolution. The funding is the same as a humanitarian grant, with a minimum scholarship amount of $30,000, which means club cash of around $10,000 before the District and International matches kick in. Do you know a graduate student who could benefit -- and in turn benefit the world -- via a Global Grant scholarship? posted 1/13/2016

Do Big Rotary Grants Take Place in the US?

Yes! Rotary grants involving projects, scholarships or vocational teams can focus on the US and Canada, just as much here as anywhere else in the world. Criteria must be met, but clubs in our District have been instrumental in developing and supporting grants after Katrina, Sandy, and most especially right here in New England after Irene. But it doesn't take a superstorm to develop a Global Grant. In Massachusetts, Rotary Clubs came together and installed cameras in neonatal units so Moms and Dads could monitor their babies 24/7. All it takes is a great idea - and an international partner updated 4/4/2016

Doing Good Just Got Easier!

Want to give to The Rotary Foundation -- but tired of writing checks? Rotary gets it! You can give online via the District website or rotary.org -- just click on the "Donate" button on the home page. Or sign up for automatic withdrawal each month; you choose the amount. Go to www.rotary.org and search for "Rotary Direct" and pay it forward -- the easiest way. You'll be glad you did! Posted 11/29/2015

November 2nd is Rotary - UN Day.

Rotary was instrumental in helping start both UNESCO and the UN back in the 1940s, and has continued the relationship with work with UNICEF to help end polio, as well as with other UN agencies on a myriad of humanitarian actions. So it's appropriate that the UN annually turns over its facilities to Rotary International for a special day each year, a day marked by UN and Rotary speakers who discuss our interests in common. This year, once again, a busload of District 7780 Interactors traveled to New York City for the festivities, and a number of our Rotarians were there as well. Updated 11/29/2015

What's the Paul Harris Society?

Not to be confused with a Paul Harris Fellow (which means a life-time gift of $1000 to The Rotary Foundation's annual fund), the Paul Harris Society is the name given to those Rotarians who pledge a $1000 gift annually. You may know these committed individuals -- they wear a "flag" below their Rotary pin that reads "PHS." One easy way to give at the $1000 level is through Rotary Direct -- sign up and an amount of money you designate is automatically deducted from your account each month. Learn more at www.rotary.org. Members of the Paul Harris Society know that the need never ends -- and neither should the giving. Posted 10/26/2015

What's a Rotary Foundation Major Donor and Bequest Society member?

The Rotary Foundation recognizes individuals and couples whose combined giving has reached $10,000, regardless of whether the gift goes to the Annual Fund, Polio Plus, or the endowment. The Foundation also recognizes those who, through estate planning, have designated $10,000 or more to The Rotary Foundation upon their death. Our District has numerous Major Donors and Bequest Society members; for more information seek out Ann Lee Hussey or Marty Helman. posted 1/13/2016

Business Development and Vocational Support: It's in our DNA

Neighbors helping neighbors and supporting their businesses was a catalyst for Paul Harris to create Rotary and the reason behind our classification system. Fast-forward 110 years, and today, Rotary is even more focused on economic and community development. As one of our six Areas of Focus, The Rotary Foundation supports investments in people to create measurable and endurable economic improvements in their lives and communities. We invest in people to create sustainable, long-term improvements in their communities. This investment takes many forms: microcredit loans, Vocational Training Teams (such as the team of mental healthcare workers this District is sending to Argentina this coming winter), and scholarships. Posted 10/3/2015

Safe Passage Honored with Rotary Peace Award

Safe Passage, the Guatemalan school support program started by a young woman from Yarmouth, Maine, which makes it possible for children whose families survive by picking on the Guatemala City Dump, was honored with the 2015 Rotary Zone 15 Donald MacRae Peace Award in September. Safe Passage has been the focus of innumerable Rotary volunteer trips, fundraising at at least six Rotary Foundation Grants over the past decade: And you can be part of this success story: A service trip for Rotarians is planned for May 2016. For more info on the trip, contact Matt Wolcott: matt@safepassage.org. And remember: The life you change may be your own. updated 4/4/2016

District Posts Record Giving in Rotary Year 2014-15

The numbers have been tallied, and District 7780 Rotarians gave to The Rotary Foundation in record amounts during the Rotary year just ended. Our total Annual Fund Giving reached nearly $214,000, which comes out to $132 per capita, and is a momentous 19 percent higher than last year's total. To reach that amount, 67 percent of us became Every Rotarian Every Year (EREY) Rotarians by contributing at least something to The Foundation, and 37 percent of us reached the Sustaining Membership level with a gift of $100 or more. It is the dollars we contribute to the Annual Fund that come back to us to make possible our District Grants in future years. PolioPlus giving also reached a record $150,756, spurred by a $100,000 memorial gift ot honor past Damariscotta-Newcastle Rotarian Joe Kindred. Meanwhile, District 7780 gifts to the Endowment Fund totaled $128,370, led by a $125,000 gift to the Rotary Peace Centers. Including donations to specific Global Grants and other gifts, District 7780's total contributions to The Rotary Foundation reached an awesome $522,258.13 in 2014-15. Most exceptionally, the money we donate supports the projects of our choice in future years. Posted 7/26/2015.

How Long has Rotary Been Involved with Polio Eradication?

Polio eradication became a Rotary priority in 1985, and the push was reinvigorated with the Gates Foundation $100 million challenge in 2008. But even before that, back in 1930, The Rotary Foundation made a grant of $500 to the International Society for Crippled Children. Rotary has truly been involved in polio eradication since the beginning! posted 1/13/2016

Goodbye, Type 2 Polio Virus

an independent global health commission independently verified on September 21 hat wild poliovirus Type 2, one of three strains of the wild virus, has been eradicated worldwide. Although the last Type 2 case was detected back in 1999, the confirmation is a n important milestone, as Rotary and its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative prepare to switch from a form of the vaccine that targts all polio types to one that does not protect against the now-extinct Type 2.Posted 10/3/2015

Funding Needed to Meet Polio Goals

Last September 25, the Polio Oversight Board met ot determine the next steps needed to eradicate polio. The group concluded that $1.5 billion in new funding is needed to help Rotary and its partners end polio in the next few years. With Nigeria now polio-free, spending will focus ont he most vulnerable children in Afghanistan and Pakistan while continuing to shield millions of children already living in endemic polio-free countries. Currently, for every dollar that Rotary raises for the fight against polio, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation "matches" with a two dollar gift. Now, that's leverage! Posted 10/3/2015

What's the "Plus" in PolioPlus?

Why is it called "PolioPlus"? The "plus" in the name refers to all the other diseases that Rotary is fighting as it is doing its polio eradication work. All children who receive the oral vaccine also receive a dose of Vitamin A. The "cold chain" of refrigerators purchased to hold the polio vaccine also holds other critical vaccines, including tetanus (which significantly cuts deaths during childbirth). And most recently, the infrastructure developed by the PolioPlus committee in Nigeria was instrumental in keeping the Ebola virus from attacking in that country last year. Posted 6/28/2015

What's a Rotary Action Group?

Rotary Action Groups are collections of Rotarians who come together (usually via the Internet) to a common purpose: To do work and create projects in specific areas of interest such as water and sanitation, end of child labor and human slavery, or peace. These Action Groups (or RAGS) are an opportunity for Rotarians to share their passion and professional interests, and to explore opportunities for international partnership in service. To find out if there is an Action Group of interest to you, Google Rotary Action Groups or check out the information on Rotary.org Posted 6/28/2015